“Every food has an inspiring birthplace and holds flavors directly connected to the places and people that make them.”
– Simran Sethi
The day dawned clear and cold. A layer of frost carpeted not just the lower lying area, but also the brown and green swirls of grass at the feet of the olive trees. It was the second day of frost, and the bigger olives, whose names we are still uncertain of, but could be either cordovil or the rarer carrasquenha, released their grip on the branches and tumbled to the ground during the night or early hours of the morning. The smaller galega olives were tenaciously clinging to the trees that surprised us with more olives than what we expected after the harsh pruning they received at the beginning of March.
Inside the house the smells of breakfast warmed the air, as our tiny crew of four filled our stomachs in preparation for the start of my first olive harvest on the land. Excitement bubbled in my veins. I was grateful that Matthias, who pruned our olive trees and as such tied himself unwittingly to them, found a way for the harvest to take place. It felt like an unexpected gift. One, both Michael and I will be grateful for with each future glug of oil soaking bread and salad, or lining the bottom of a pan or casserole dish.
With a minimum requirement at the mill of 500kg of olives, we knew that our ten trees which managed to bear a fair amount of olives, fell way short of that, but Matthias organised for us to pool ours with those of someone else to make up the minimum quantity. With a slot booked at the mill for Monday afternoon the 23rd of November, they’ve harvested their share over the weekend to stay within the 48 hours from harvest to pressing, which is said to give the best results.
We braced ourselves for the sting of cold air in our lungs, protected our hands with gloves, and rolled out the 10 x 10 meter green nets to fit snug around the base of one tree at a time. Matthias followed us with the electric rake, whose slender carbon-fibre fingers oscillated like two giant hands pulling leaves and fruit to the ground. The speed with which we moved through the grove stood in sharp contrast with that of my neighbours, who harvested their trees by climbing into the branches with ladders and using small plastic rakes, relying not on battery power, but muscle power.
My hands felt uncertain at first, but they quickly found their own rhythm pulling at the nets, picking up stray olives, and seperating out the leaves. Repetitive movements that can be done easily while engaging in an undulating flow of conversation. It is a communal activity, best done in the company of friends.
It turned out to be one of the last days that was still infused with the warmth of autumn, and by midday we managed to fill ten crates bursting with the promise of golden oil.
With ongoing building work at the house, and the fact that there was a backlog at the mill, I missed my first opportunity to witness the oil extraction process. But there is always next year to look forward to.
# Our final yield was 15l of oil from 135kg of olives.
Portuguese words:
azeitonas – olives
azeite – olive oil
colheita da azeitona – olive harvest
amigas (f) / amigos (m) – friends
Written by: Jolandi
So interesting.. In Albanie they say an extra virgin yield at this time of year is approximately 18 litres oil to 100kb of Olives.. 😉
Very interesting, Lisa. There is so much for me to learn about olives. Everything is new. – Jolandi
Interesting to read of the harvest Jolandi and all of the hard work that goes into our best quality olive oil. Thanks for sharing it with us.
You are so right, Christina – there is a lot of hard physical labour that goes into producing good olive oil. I think it is sad that we have become so disconnected to our food sources. It is wonderful for me to have finally had the opportunity to partake in something I’ve only ever read about. – Jolandi
This will probably the best 15 liters of olive oil you and Michael will ever sample, Jolandi, as you never had it made from your own olive trees before! I hope you will enjoy it.
Seeing how the olives are harvested also helps provide at least one answer to my question in the previous post–you need to have room to spread out your nets, so the grass would be in the way. I still imagine that it’s beneficial during the growing season.
I hope you are happily ensconced at your new home.
Best wishes,
Tanja
I think you’re right about the oil, Tanja. I can’t wait to have my first taste in another week, as the sediment needs to settle first. It will then be ready for use in another two weeks after that, as the water and sediment needs time to seperate from the oil first. So many new things to learn! – Jolandi
That’s Absolutely brilliant, congratulations.
I would ask for a bottle to be sent to Abu Dhabi, but as you know the post office is rather particular regards what’s sent out for ones pleasure.
Enjoy living the dream my friend.
Thanks, John & Mel! Don’t worry, I will make sure Michael takes you a bottle, I wouldn’t want either one of you to answer any uncomfortable questions when you get a phone call from ‘customs’! 🙂 – Jolandi
Jolandi, this is truly a wonderful experience and the glut of those beautiful olives, who would of thought you would be reaping the benefits of living of the land. Amigo that is happy news for the heart and soul.
Am sure you are lapping up all the cold season air and smells from the land compared to the air conditioned life in UAE.
All the best to the both of you, whoaa xx
Ah, thank you, Nanette. Yes, it was such a wonderful surprise to receive this special gift of oil.
Although I’m not used to winter at all anymore, I do love the fresh, clean air, and spending time outside is such a pleasure. So much nicer from living an air-conditioned life. Plus, as a bonus, my asthma disappears completely here. – Jolandi
Well done, Jolandi! That is such good news and a fantastic harvest from trees so recently pruned! I love the photos and the description you have given of the way the olives are harvested – so interesting!
Thank you, Clare. It is so satisfying to know that our trees have done so well after their recent pruning. It gives us hope that next year we may be lucky enough to have a big enough yield to do a single pressing from our grove. There is still so much for us to learn about olives and olive production, but I’m sure with each year we will become wiser, as learning on the job is always the most satisfying. – Jolandi
So cool. A lovely start to life in Portugal. Love to you both.
It is indeed a lovely start to my life in Portugal. – Jolandi
What joy that must bring in such a crazy year. I love seeing the photos and hearing the story. I can imagine it is very rewarding to grow, harvest and then taste the rich oil you put so much love and work in to.
Thank you for sharing.
Terri
Pure joy, Terri. 🙂 I’ll taste the oil in a week’s time, as I’m still waiting for the sediment to settle, but I can’t wait. – Jolandi
Wow. Hard work but so rewarding. Did your back hurt the next day? Hahahaha.
What a beautiful piece of land you’ve got too. I have some American friends who are retired in Portugal as well, but they live by the sea. It would be grand if one day you could all meet up. xo
That would be grand indeed, Lani. I hope they enjoy living here. Yes, Portugal, although a small country has many varied landscapes, which also makes it an interesting place to travel in. As a matter of fact, my back didn’t hurt as much as I thought it would, but it was definitely full of complaints. 🙂 – Jolandi
So wonderful to see part of this process and to read about it… especially as this is the first time! Bravo. Will be ever so satisfying when the time is right to enjoy that olive oil. Love this post so symbolic of the hard work and life choices you have both made!
Peta
Thank you, Peta. There is always a sort of romanticism connected to the lifestyle choices we make that is outside of mainstream society, but the hard work and emotional turmoil they come with are often overlooked. Yet, I make them all over again, as the rewards always outweigh the risks and inevitable struggles. I’m suspect you would agree. – Jolandi
Great photos to fit a great story ~ how you’ll enjoy this golden oil 🙂
You are so right, Randall. I will have my first taste of the oil tomorrow. Can’t wait. – Jolandi
So how was it? 🙂
Put me down for a few bottles when you begin marketing them ~ I have made the full switch to olive oil the past few years… it is a little bit of magic.
It tastes wonderful, Randall. There is a sharp hit right at the end, which I really like. I will soon be able to decant it into smaller bottles. Like you say, olive oil really is “a little bit of magic”. I hope we will be able to sell some after our next harvest, although I suspect it will always be a very limited edition. But you are on that list. 🙂 – Jolandi
One of the things I wish can grow well in Indonesia is olive trees. The olive oil I usually buy at the supermarket here in Jakarta is from Italy, but I’ve tasted the one from Lebanon when I went there in March 2019 which was so good and flavorful. It’s so relaxing to imagine the life you’re currently living in Portugal, Jolandi.
I have to agree with you, Bama. The olive oil one buys in a supermarket is actually quite bland. I think it is only when one tastes the oil produced in small batches that one has a true appreciation for the exciting flavours that can be found in olive oil. I can’t wait to taste our oil. I think I’ll have to do a post on that, especially as I’m also trying my hand on brining a small batch of olives for eating. Fingers crossed it will be tasty. – Jolandi
I need to backtrack a bit, Jolandi. Whereabouts are you living in Portugal? Wishing you a fruitful harvest now and in 2021 🙂 🙂
We are in Central Portugal, Jo. In the Castelo Branco district, just outside of Penamacor. Because our trees were pruned back hard in March we were pleasantly surprised that we managed to get 135kg and 15l of oil from them. We had to share with another farm to reach the required weight at the mill, but it at least feels like we have our own oil. Hopefully next year we can do a single press of our olives. It is so exciting to participate in this age old tradition, as it makes us feel connected to the land. – Jolandi